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(No M0ae1.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

W. J. IRWIN.

GAME.

No. 435,065. Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

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W. J. IRWIN.`

GAMB.

No. 435,065. Patented Aug.26,1890.

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d e a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM J. IRIVIN, OF HOBOKEN, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO `MCLOUGrHLINBROTHERS, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,065, datedAugust26, 1890.

Application led October 26, 1889. Serial No. 328,303. (No model.)

To all whom it may con/bern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. IRWIN, of Hoboken, in the county ofHudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new Improvement inGames, of which the following is a specification.

In carrying out my improvement I take a sheet of paper, cloth, orsimilar material, and upon it I cause to be delineated, by printing orotherwise, two portions of the key-board of a piano, showing both thewhite and black keys. I Inay show any desired number of octaves in eachportion, and I prefer that one of the portions shall be in the trebleclef and the other in the bass. I may or may not, as desired, showletters of the alphabet upon or in line with certain of the keys, asdesired. In line with each of certain of the keys I show indicators. Inplaying the game I employ markers, upon which are delineated, byprinting or otherwise, notes and symbols used in ers employed.

musical compositions. Certain of these markers may have upon themligures indicating an arbitrary value. The markers are placed upon theindicators and the game is played in manner to be hereinafter more fullydescribed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan or .tace view of a sheetof paper or similar material embodying a portion of. my improvement.Fig. 2 illustrates certain markdesignates the sheet of paper, cloth, orsimilar material, which in practice may loe mounted upon pasteboard orother stiff material, which may be made to fold at about midway in itslength-as, for instance, on the dotted line d, so as to close the twohalves together in book form. The sheetA need not be a continuous sheet,but may be made up of two or more sheets secured together or upon thepasteboard or other material in a convenient manner, so that when spreadout the sheet as a whole willbe substantially ilat.

B designates a portion of the representation of the key-board of apiano, and O another portion. Each of these portions show white keys band black keys c in their ordinary and well-known positions relativelyto each other. Each portion, as shown, illustrates a little more thanthree octaves,`but I may use any desired number of keys. Upon each ofthe white keys b, I have shown a letter of the alphabet corresponding tothe letters lof the keys in the octave, but these may be omitted, ifdesired. I prefer that one of said portions B C shall represent thetreble clef and the other the bass, and I have so illustrated them. Insuch case of course the letterswhere used will correspond to thelettering of the keys for the different clefs.

In the example of my improvement illustrated one of the portions of thekey-board is placed in front of the other; lout this is only forconvenience and they may occupy other posit-ions relatively to eachother.

In line with each of the white keys lis an indicator D. I have shownthese indicators as in the form ot circles and arranged in a zigzag rowin order to economize space; but they need not be so arrangednecessarily, nor need they be circular, as any suitable symbols, marks,or other signs which will indicate the keys in line with which they arearranged may be used.

Between the portions B O, I have shown an index indicating an arbitraryvalue to be given to notes and rests in playingthe game. This, however,need not be used if the Amarkers about to be described have the valuesof the notes upon them.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a number of markers which are to be used inplaying the game. These markers are shown as circular and may be made ofpasteboard or other suitable material. Upon ea'ch is delineated a noteor symbol used in musical compositions, and upon those indicating notesand rests are delineated figures indicating the value of the marker.These figures maybe omitted,how ever, it' the index shown'in Eig. lisused. The marker d indicates a dotted whole note having an arbitraryvalue of six; e, a whole note with a value of four; f, a half-note witha value of two; g, a quarter-note withavalue of one; h, two eighth-noteswith a value of one; t, four sixteenth-notes with a value of one; j, awhole rest with a value ot' four; la, a half-rest with a value of two;l, a quarterrest with a Value of one; m, an eighth-rest roo with a valueof one; n, a sixteenth-rest with a value of one. o represents a sharp, pa flat, and r a naturaL In playing the game one proceeds as follows: Thegame is preferably played by two players, one taking the treble part andthe other the bass. The markers are turned face down on the table andeach player draws iive or any other desired number and keeps themconcealed from his opponent. One-for instance, the player having thetreble-commences the game by placing any marker which he may seeV fitand upon which is a figure denoting value upon the rst indicator, whichmay be at either end of the line. The player having the bass then placesa marker in a similar position. Thus theplay proceeds, the playersplaying alternately. Any two letters on kthe key-board may bearbitrarily selected-as, for instance, the letters A and F. When aplayer has placed a marker upon the indicator opposite the key bearingthe letter A, for instance, if his opponent should hold a marker uponwhich is a sharp, he may place said marker upon his opponents marker andmay move it over onto the A- sharp key in the board. If now the firstplayer holds a natural marker he may place it upon the marker which hasbeen sharped and may move it back to its original position. If he doesnot hold a natural the marker must remain where placed upon the sharp.If, onr the otherhand, one plays a marker upon an indicator opposite F,his opponent may play a fiat marker upon it, it` he should have one, andmay move it over onto the F-lat key. This may be naturalized aspreviously described. If a player is obliged to play a rest marker, hemust skip one of the indicators in his row and play upon the nextadjacent one. Of course each player continues to draw from the pile ofmarkers until he has drawn enough to complete his row. At the conclusionof the game the iigures upon the markers remaining upon the indicatorsin each row are added up, and the one footing the greatest number winsthe game.

. The game is of course concluded when either one of the players hascompleted his row. The markers which may have been placed upon iiats orsharps during the play count against a player at the conclusion of thegame, and are to be deducted from his score. If it should happen that aplayer has only sharps, ats, or naturals, his opponent may continue hisplay until the next drawing, or 1S10 loing as he can from the markers inhis It will be seen that by my improvement I not only provide aninteresting game which all may play, but I also furnisha game which willquickly teach children and others desirous of learning to read music andto gain a knowledge of the arrangement of keys upon the piano-forte ororgan the value of notes, the value of rests, and the value of flats andsharps, as well as the letters of the keys upon the key-board and theirpositions relatively to each other.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A game apparatus comprising a fiat sheet of paper, cloth7 or similarmaterial, upon which are delineated two portions of a piano key-boardand a number ot indicators, each one substantially in line with acorresponding key upon the key-board, and markers upon which aredelineated various notes and symbols used in musical compositions,substantially as specified.

2. A game apparatus comprising a Hat sheet of paper, cloth, or similarmaterial, upon which are delineated two portions of a piano key-board,one for the treble and the other for the bass, and anumber ofindicators, each one substantially in line with a corresponding key uponthe key-board, and markers upon which are delineated various notes andsymbols used in musical compositions, substantially as specified.

3. A game apparatus comprising a flat piece of paper, cloth, or similarmaterial, upon which are delineated two portions lof apiano key-boardand a number of indicators, each one substantially in line with acorresponding key upon the key-board, and markers upon which aredelineated various notes and symbols used in musical compositions, andupon certain ot' which are delineated numbers indicating their value,substantially as specified.

4. A game apparatus comprising a Hat sheet of paper, cloth, or similarlmaterial, upon which are delineated two portions of apiano key-board,letters of the alphabet indicating the letters of certain of the keys,and a number of indicators, each one substantially'in line with acorresponding key upon the keyboard, and markers upon which aredelineated various notes andv symbols used in musical compositions,substantially as specified.

WILLIAM J. IRWIN. Witnesses:

FREDK. I-IAYNEs, K. E. PEMBLETON.

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